Day Trippin' › Alabama › From Tuscaloosa
From Tuscaloosa, Moundville Archaeological Park is under 20 minutes away, Lake Lurleen State Park under half an hour, Tannehill Ironworks about 40, Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute and McWane Science Center under an hour, and Gaineswood in Demopolis about an hour. The best day trips from Tuscaloosa, by drive time.
120 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Museum · 53 min northeast
A moving museum on the Birmingham civil rights campaign, across from 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park.
State park · 26 min northwest
A 250-acre lake near Tuscaloosa with a swim beach and more than 23 miles of hiking and biking trails.
Family fun · 54 min northeast
A 19-acre green space downtown with lawns, ponds, trails and free events. A good spot for a picnic.
Viewpoint · 58 min northeast
The giant iron Vulcan statue on Red Mountain, with an observation tower and a museum on Birmingham's iron past. The best city view around.
Zoo · 1 hr northeast
A large zoo with a children's zoo, carousel and animals from around the world. Glow Wild lights run in the holiday season.
Museum · 53 min northeast
Four floors of hands-on science, an aquarium area and a giant screen theater downtown.
Historic site · 40 min east
Old stone iron furnaces, pioneer cabins, an iron museum and creek trails in the woods near McCalla.
Museum · 53 min northeast
A large art museum downtown with collections from around the world and a sculpture garden.
Hike · 1 hr 53 min north
A deep, mossy sandstone canyon with waterfalls and old hemlocks, famous for glowing Dismalites on night tours.
Historic site · 1 hr 24 min southeast
The bridge in Selma where marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday in 1965. Walking across it is a moving experience.
Museum · 1 hr 48 min southeast
A powerful museum on the history of slavery, lynching, segregation and mass incarceration in America, built on a site where enslaved people were once held.
Small town · 1 hr 4 min northwest
Old river city with historic homes, a spring pilgrimage and the Catfish in the Alley festival.
State park · 1 hr 13 min west
Lake park near Columbus.
Wildlife · 1 hr 47 min west
Big refuge near Starkville spread over three counties, with lakes and hiking trails.
Family fun · 1 hr 26 min southwest
A rare antique hand-carved carousel in Meridian's Highland Park.
Waterfall · 1 hr 50 min northeast
A 90-foot waterfall in Gadsden with a gorge trail, a mini train and a pioneer village.
State park · 2 hr 24 min north
Rocky hills, a 1938 CCC swinging bridge over Bear Creek and some of the best trails in Mississippi.
Small town · 2 hr 49 min northwest
College town with a famous square, bookstores, great restaurants and Ole Miss.
Historic site · 2 hr 5 min northwest
The small house where Elvis was born, plus a museum, memorial garden and his childhood church.
Museum · 2 hr 16 min northeast
NASA's official visitor center for the Marshall Space Flight Center, with a real Saturn V rocket, about 1,100 artifacts and a planetarium.
Cave · 2 hr 45 min northeast
A cave with one of the widest entrances in the world and Goliath, a stalagmite about 45 feet tall. It stays about 60 degrees all year.
National park · 2 hr 46 min northeast
A deep canyon on top of Lookout Mountain with a scenic rim drive, overlooks, Little River Falls and spots for paddling and climbing.
State park · 2 hr 58 min northeast
A big canyon on Lookout Mountain with waterfall stairs, rim views and bike trails.
Aquarium · 3 hr east
One of the largest aquariums in the world, with whale sharks, manta rays, beluga whales and a dolphin show. Easy to pair with other downtown sights.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 35401 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.